Heat-Tolerant Covid-19 Vaccine by IISc | 15 Jan 2024
Why in News?
A heat-tolerant vaccine developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers is said to be effective against all current strains of SARS-CoV-2 besides having the potential to be quickly adapted for future variants as well.
What are the Key Points Related to the Vaccine Developed by IISc?
- Background: According to IISc, while current vaccines are proven to be effective against most SARS-CoV-2 strains, their efficacy has declined due to rapid mutation by the virus.
- Antigen Selection: After analyzing various proteins found in the virus, the researchers selected two parts of SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein, the S2 subunit and the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) for designing their vaccine candidate.
- The S2 subunit is highly conserved. It mutates much less than the S1 subunit, which is the target of most current vaccines and the RBD can provoke a robust immune response.
- A hybrid protein, RS2, was created by combining the selected components.
- The researchers then tested the effects of the protein in both mice and hamster models. They found that the hybrid protein triggered a strong immune response.
Note
A receptor-binding domain is a key part of a virus located on its 'spike' domain that allows it to dock to body receptors to gain entry into cells and lead to infection.
- The spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2, which plays a key role in the receptor recognition and cell membrane fusion process, is composed of two subunits, S1 and S2.
- Characteristics of RS2 Antigen:
- Adaptability to Variants: The RS2 antigen can be customized to incorporate the RBD region of any new SARS-CoV-2 variant including XBB.1.5 and JN.1 variants.
- This adaptability addresses concerns related to the virus's rapid mutation.
- Storage and Distribution: RS2 antigen can be stored at room temperature for a month without requiring cold storage.
- Economic Advantage: Reduced production and distribution costs make it economically viable.
- Adaptability to Variants: The RS2 antigen can be customized to incorporate the RBD region of any new SARS-CoV-2 variant including XBB.1.5 and JN.1 variants.
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Q. In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements: (2022)
- The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using mRNA platform.
- Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using vector-based platform.
- COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen-based vaccine.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: (b)